Rice is one of the most carbon-rich foods in the world. It is useful to use it as a side dish, as well as in various dishes. For some dishes, rice must be soaked before cooking, but there are dishes in which soaking rice is highly undesirable. Different types of pilaf have their own tricks and requirements for the preliminary processing of rice.
After soaking, the rice changes its properties: it becomes softer and crumbly. But in some cases this is completely unnecessary, so it is important to know how to pre-process rice to prepare various types of pilaf. It is also important to pay attention to the type of rice used for making pilaf.
Pilaf in a cauldron
If we cook pilaf in a cauldron, then the rice must be soaked in warm and slightly salted water. The steeping time will depend on the type of rice. The least time will be required for "soft" varieties (for example, Krasnodar, Kamolino) - 15-20 minutes. For long grain rice, increase the soak time to half an hour. But Basmati rice should be soaked for at least an hour. After soaking, any rice must be rinsed with cold water. The pilaf in the cauldron will not stick together and will not take excess water during cooking. Please note that the water from the rice must be drained immediately before placing it in the cauldron. Otherwise, the rice will dry out quickly and burst as it cooks.
Soaking rice overnight is only recommended if you are preparing fruit pilaf. After soaking for a long time, the rice loses its shape, but becomes very soft. This is important, for example, with baby food.
Pilaf in a slow cooker
There are also subtleties for cooking pilaf in a multicooker. Since rice languishes for a long time with this method of cooking, it is recommended to rinse it well, and then fry it with a small addition of vegetable oil. It is after this procedure that pilaf in a multicooker will be crumbly, and will not stick together into one lump.
Pilaf in the oven
When cooking pilaf in the oven, it is recommended to soak the rice for a short time, or better - to steam it with boiling water. To do this, pour boiling water over unwashed rice and leave for 5-10 minutes. After that, it is necessary to drain the cloudy water and pour boiling water over again for the same time. Water, as in the preparation of pilaf in a cauldron, should be drained only before the moment of putting the rice in the oven. When soaked in boiling water, the rice does not crack, retains its shape and becomes softer and more tender.
When cooking pilaf in the "sleeve", you do not need to soak rice. The main thing is to rinse it well to clear water. You can pour a little meat broth into the sleeve of the rice, put the fried meat with spices and vegetables and add plain water. With this method of cooking, the rice will absorb the flavor of the oil and broth, but at the same time it will remain crumbly.
Soak or not?
Each housewife has her own "crown" way of cooking pilaf. But to find the perfect recipe, it's worth experimenting and trying different options for preparing the rice. It is almost impossible to spoil the rice, and if suddenly it turned out to be dry or not soaked, you can always add water and increase the cooking time or add a delicious sauce.
